Google releases a new Android version every year, and while the first Android 15 developer preview was released this year in February, the company has already announced the first Android 16 developer preview just a couple of months after the official release of Android 15 on AOSP in an “effort to drive faster innovation in apps and devices”.
More specifically, Google plans to release two Android APIs next year: a major SDK release in Q2 2025 instead of Q3 followed by a minor SDK release in Q4 2025 that won’t include behavior changes that may require changes in apps, but only pick up feature updates, optimizations, and bug fixes. The change was mostly made to better accommodate the device launch schedule of smartphone manufacturers.
That almost means many more changes are expected between the preview and the beta release. As of now, Google has only announced a few new features and changes for developers in Android 16:
- API for Minor/Major SDK management
- The Embedded Photo Picker provides a safe way for users to grant app access to selected images and videos from both local and cloud storage, instead of their entire media library.
- The developer preview of Health Connect contains an early version of APIs supporting health records. This will allow apps to read and write medical records in FHIR format with explicit user consent.
- Privacy Sandbox on Android – Android 16 incorporates the latest version of the Privacy Sandbox on Android
That’s about all we know at this time. Developers and enthusiasts can try Android 16 on recent Google Pixel devices and/or the Android emulator. Google recommends switching to a preview of Android Studio for Android 16 app development. Additional information may be found on the developer website.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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